This invention relates to powder metals and parts made therefrom. In particular, this invention relates to aluminum alloy powder metals and powder metal parts made from these powder metals.
In many applications, the thermal conductivity of the material used to make a part is an important design consideration. For certain parts, such as heat sinks, the rate at which heat is transferred through the part determines the effectiveness of the part.
Conventionally, parts made from powder metal have lower thermal conductivities than wrought parts having the same or a very similar chemical composition. This is unfortunate as powder metallurgy is otherwise well-suited for making parts with fine features in large volumes such as heat sinks.
Hence, a need exists for a powder metal formulation having a thermal conductivity that, in a sintered part, is as good or better than the thermal conductivity of a part made from a wrought material.